Detailed analysis of mobile data usage suggests that connectivity rates remain comparatively pricey in Nigeria. According to the Research and Development Unit of Yudala, Nigeria’s pioneer online and offline e-commerce outfit, data has thus become a very critical commodity that must be efficiently maximised, especially in view of the tiered data plans currently used by service providers.

With the growing popularity of social media, we are in age of information overload; one in which content is not only king but also predominantly ubiquitous. In addition to music streaming, watching videos online and other activities that drain your data, most smartphones are also loaded with tons of data-hungry apps.

If not checked, you might find your mobile data bills burning a huge hole in your expense sheet on a monthly basis. The following tips from Yudala will come in handy for maximising data usage on your smartphone:

1. Monitor your data usage: Most users live in fear of exhausting their mobile data before the expiration date, but with the help of some useful apps, you can now monitor and limit the amount of data used. The best way to save data is to be aware of the activities or applications that drain your cellular data. Most smartphones are equipped with data usage setting that enable you manage your data. Usually located in the Settings menu, you can set up alerts for when you exceed data usage for your most notoriously data-consuming apps.

2. Exercise caution with online video streaming: This is a known fact. But as much as we hate to admit it, the fun things consume most of your mobile data. Excessive streaming of videos, music, high quality images or GIF files, are things you need to avoid if you really want to maximise your internet usage. While we know these things are not entirely avoidable, there are some other ways to stay entertained responsibly. If you can’t avoid the entertainment your smartphone brings, you can set the quality at lower rates or decrease resolution in the settings menu of your smartphone.

3. Use Wi-Fi connection for updates or downloading heavy content: Wi-Fi is often regarded as a blessing by most smartphone users. While access to unlimited Wi-Fi connection is still rather limited in Nigeria, there are certain locations you can count on for free Wi-Fi. One of the most sensible ways of maximising your mobile data usage is by setting up your smartphone for automatic updates only when on Wi-Fi connection. This way, you get to save some significant volume of the data drain that comes with auto-updates. Furthermore, downloads of heavy contents such as videos, high-resolution images and music files should also be done when on a secure Wi-Fi connection.

4. Restrict background data: Some applications use up a lot of data even when the phone is not in use. This is a brilliant feature of the smartphone: allowing background data to keep the applications on your phone updated. However, not every app needs to stay active at all times. You can stop the constant update by going to your settings option to select the app you want restricted or simply disable background app refresh in your settings. This helps reduce data consumption and also preserves the battery life of your device.

5. Preload and Cache: Despite the anxiety over cellular data, developers have made things easy and included options that make smartphone apps less demanding. A very good example is a cache, a hardware or software component that stores data so future requests for that data can be served faster. The data stored in a cache might be the result of an earlier computation, or the duplicate of data stored elsewhere. These days, certain apps allow you to store data temporarily so you can cache as much content as possible. Caching is enjoyable on a Wi-Fi network which enables you enjoy preloaded content at any time, without using your cellular data.

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